Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson rarely score little, but when they do, Warriors’ wins are even rarer

By Dan FeldmanJun 3, 2016, 10:52 AM EDT

Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images

In the Warriors’ 121 games since last year’s playoffs began, Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson combined for 20 or fewer points just thrice:

A December loss to the Mavericks, which Curry missed due to a leg injury. Thompson scored just 10 points on 4-of-15 shooting.
Golden State’s Game 3 loss to the Rockets in this year’s first round. Though he averaged 32 points in the other five games Curry missed with his knee injury, Thompson scored just 17 in this dud.
Game 1 of the Finals last night

Curry (11 points on 4-of-15 shooting) and Thompson (nine points on 4-of-12 shooting) were let off the hook by the Warriors’ bench, which came up big in 104-89 win.

It’s been more than two years since Curry and Thompson scored so little in a game they both played. Even when one was out, the other usually picked up the slack.

Here’s the combined scoring output of the Splash Brothers in each Golden State game since the start of last season’s playoffs, Curry in yellow and Thompson in blue:

Game	Stephen Curry	Klay Thompson	Total
April 18, 2015: 106-99 W vs. NOP	34	21	55
April 20, 2015: 97-87 W vs. NOP	22	26	48
April 23, 2015: 123-119 (OT) W at NOP	40	28	68
April 25, 2015: 109-98 W at NOP	39	25	64
May 3, 2015: 101-86 W vs. MEM	22	18	40
May 5, 2015: 90-97 L vs. MEM	19	13	32
May 9, 2015: 89-99 L at MEM	23	20	43
May 11, 2015: 101-84 W at MEM	33	15	48
May 13, 2015: 98-78 W vs. MEM	18	21	39
May 15, 2015: 108-95 W at MEM	32	20	52
May 19, 2015: 110-106 W vs. HOU	34	15	49
May 21, 2015: 99-98 W vs. HOU	33	13	46
May 23, 2015: 115-80 W at HOU	40	17	57
May 25, 2015: 115-128 L at HOU	23	24	47
May 27, 2015: 104-90 W vs. HOU	26	20	46
June 4, 2015: 108-100 (OT) W vs. CLE	26	21	47
June 7, 2015: 93-95 (OT) L vs. CLE	19	34	53
June 9, 2015: 91-96 L at CLE	27	14	41
June 11, 2015: 103-82 W at CLE	22	9	31
June 14, 2015: 104-91 W vs. CLE	37	12	49
June 16, 2015: 105-97 W at CLE	25	5	30
October 27, 2015: 111-95 W vs. NOP	40	9	49
October 30, 2015: 112-92 W at HOU	25	11	36
October 31, 2015: 134-120 W at NOP	53	19	72
November 2, 2015: 119-69 W vs. MEM	30	14	44
November 4, 2015: 112-108 W vs. LAC	31	16	47
November 6, 2015: 119-104 W vs. DEN	34	18	52
November 7, 2015: 103-94 W at SAC	24	18	42
November 9, 2015: 109-95 W vs. DET	22	24	46
November 11, 2015: 100-84 W at MEM	28	8	36
November 12, 2015: 129-116 W at MIN	46	15	61
November 14, 2015: 107-99 (OT) W vs. BRK	34	0	34
November 17, 2015: 115-110 W vs. TOR	37	19	56
November 19, 2015: 124-117 W at LAC	40	25	65
November 20, 2015: 106-94 W vs. CHI	27	15	42
November 22, 2015: 118-105 W at DEN	19	21	40
November 24, 2015: 111-77 W vs. LAL	24	11	35
November 27, 2015: 135-116 W at PHO	41	15	56
November 28, 2015: 120-101 W vs. SAC	19	15	34
November 30, 2015: 106-103 W at UTA	26	20	46
December 2, 2015: 116-99 W at CHO	40	21	61
December 5, 2015: 112-109 W at TOR	44	26	70
December 6, 2015: 114-98 W at BRK	28	21	49
December 8, 2015: 131-123 W at IND	29	39	68
December 11, 2015: 124-119 (2OT) W at BOS	38	0	38
December 12, 2015: 95-108 L at MIL	28	12	40
December 16, 2015: 128-103 W vs. PHO	25	43	68
December 18, 2015: 121-112 W vs. MIL	26	27	53
December 23, 2015: 103-85 W vs. UTA	16	20	36
December 25, 2015: 89-83 W vs. CLE	19	18	37
December 28, 2015: 122-103 W vs. SAC	23	29	52
December 30, 2015: 91-114 L at DAL	0	10	10
December 31, 2015: 114-110 W at HOU	0	38	38
January 2, 2016: 111-108 (OT) W vs. DEN	5	26	31
January 4, 2016: 111-101 W vs. CHO	30	30	60
January 5, 2016: 109-88 W at LAL	17	36	53
January 8, 2016: 128-108 W at POR	26	36	62
January 9, 2016: 128-116 W at SAC	38	15	53
January 11, 2016: 111-103 W vs. MIA	31	17	48
January 13, 2016: 110-112 L at DEN	38	17	55
January 14, 2016: 116-98 W vs. LAL	26	12	38
January 16, 2016: 95-113 L at DET	38	24	62
January 18, 2016: 132-98 W at CLE	35	15	50
January 20, 2016: 125-94 W at CHI	25	20	45
January 22, 2016: 122-110 W vs. IND	39	18	57
January 25, 2016: 120-90 W vs. SAS	37	11	48
January 27, 2016: 127-107 W vs. DAL	14	45	59
January 30, 2016: 108-105 W at PHI	23	32	55
January 31, 2016: 116-95 W at NYK	13	34	47
February 3, 2016: 134-121 W at WAS	51	24	75
February 6, 2016: 116-108 W vs. OKC	26	18	44
February 9, 2016: 123-110 W vs. HOU	35	13	48
February 10, 2016: 112-104 W at PHO	26	24	50
February 19, 2016: 105-137 L at POR	31	23	54
February 20, 2016: 115-112 W at LAC	23	32	55
February 22, 2016: 102-92 W at ATL	36	27	63
February 24, 2016: 118-112 W at MIA	42	33	75
February 25, 2016: 130-114 W at ORL	51	9	60
February 27, 2016: 121-118 (OT) W at OKC	46	32	78
March 1, 2016: 109-105 (OT) W vs. ATL	0	26	26
March 3, 2016: 121-106 W vs. OKC	33	21	54
March 6, 2016: 95-112 L at LAL	18	15	33
March 7, 2016: 119-113 W vs. ORL	41	27	68
March 9, 2016: 115-94 W vs. UTA	12	23	35
March 11, 2016: 128-112 W vs. POR	34	37	71
March 12, 2016: 123-116 W vs. PHO	35	20	55
March 14, 2016: 125-107 W vs. NOP	27	18	45
March 16, 2016: 121-85 W vs. NYK	34	19	53
March 18, 2016: 130-112 W at DAL	31	39	70
March 19, 2016: 79-87 L at SAS	14	15	29
March 21, 2016: 109-104 W at MIN	19	17	36
March 23, 2016: 114-98 W vs. LAC	33	32	65
March 25, 2016: 128-120 W vs. DAL	33	40	73
March 27, 2016: 117-105 W vs. PHI	20	40	60
March 29, 2016: 102-94 W vs. WAS	26	16	42
March 30, 2016: 103-96 (OT) W at UTA	31	18	49
April 1, 2016: 106-109 L vs. BOS	29	15	44
April 3, 2016: 136-111 W vs. POR	39	21	60
April 5, 2016: 117-124 (OT) L vs. MIN	21	28	49
April 7, 2016: 112-101 W vs. SAS	27	14	41
April 9, 2016: 100-99 W at MEM	17	20	37
April 10, 2016: 92-86 W at SAS	37	14	51
April 13, 2016: 125-104 W vs. MEM	46	16	62
April 16, 2016: 104-78 W vs. HOU	24	16	40
April 18, 2016: 115-106 W vs. HOU	0	34	34
April 21, 2016: 96-97 L at HOU	0	17	17
April 24, 2016: 121-94 W at HOU	6	23	29
April 27, 2016: 114-81 W vs. HOU	0	27	27
May 1, 2016: 118-106 W vs. POR	0	37	37
May 3, 2016: 110-99 W vs. POR	0	27	27
May 7, 2016: 108-120 L at POR	0	35	35
May 9, 2016: 132-125 (OT) W at POR	40	23	63
May 11, 2016: 125-121 W vs. POR	29	33	62
May 16, 2016: 102-108 L vs. OKC	26	25	51
May 18, 2016: 118-91 W vs. OKC	28	15	43
May 22, 2016: 105-133 L at OKC	24	18	42
May 24, 2016: 94-118 L at OKC	19	26	45
May 26, 2016: 120-111 W vs. OKC	31	27	58
May 28, 2016: 108-101 W at OKC	31	41	72
May 30, 2016: 96-88 W vs. OKC	36	21	57
June 2, 2016: 104-89 W vs. CLE	11	9	20

Credit Cleveland’s defense for locking in on Curry and Thompson, but the guards shot 3-for-11 on attempts NBA.com deems open or wide open. No matter what the Cavs think, that doesn’t seem sustainable. Over the long run, those will fall for such talented shooters.

But reaction doesn’t come over the long run. Two score-first All-Stars scoring this little on the biggest stage? That usually draws tremendous criticism.

This was one heck of an off game by Curry and Thompson. They just picked the right night for it.

NBA Power Rankings: Nobody is knocking the Celtics off the top spot this week

By Kurt HelinDec 7, 2022, 5:47 PM EST

Most of the NBA’s eyes are on Dec. 15 and the coming trade season, but games are still being played and the Celtics are still looking dominant, which is why they top this week’s NBC Sports NBA Power Rankings. The Bucks are back up to second, knocking the Suns down to third.

1. Celtics (20-5, Last week No.1). Fueling the Celtics’ historically good offense — they are on pace to have the most efficient offense in NBA history — is the 3-pointer. Boston is on pace to make more 3s than any team in NBA history: They are averaging 16.6 3s a game, which is on pace for 1,361. The 2020-21 Utah Jazz made 16.74 3s per game that season, but because of the COVID-shortened season they “only” made 1,205 total — Boston should smash that number. The Celtics are 2-0 to start a tough road trip, with the Suns, Warriors and then both Los Angeles teams left on the schedule.

2. Bucks (17-6, LW 3). Brook Lopez is having maybe the best season of his career, playing at a Defensive Player of the Year level on that end of the floor with a league-leading three blocks a game, plus pitching in 15.3 points a night — and the time to do that is a contract year. Nobody around the league thinks he’s bolting the Bucks, he’ll get an extension or sign a new deal in the offseason, but he’s getting a big raise from the $13.9 million he’s making now. Friday night in Dallas starts a string of 8-of-10 on the road for Milwaukee (they are 6-3 away from home so far).

3. Suns (16-8, LW 2). Chris Paul returns to the Suns lineup on Wednesday night after missing a month with a heel injury. Phoenix went 9-5 while Paul rested heel, with a +5.9 net rating that was fourth best in the NBA over that stretch. Really interesting test coming up over the weekend with the team just below the Suns in this ranking — games Friday and Sunday nights in New Orleans. The Pelicans are just on the Suns’ heels in the West, can Phoenix establish itself early as the team to beat to get the top seed out West, or is New Orleans more of a real threat than some give them credit for?

4. Pelicans (15-8, LW 6). The conventional wisdom was that having CJ McCollum and Zion Williamson full-time in the Pelicans lineup would spell trouble for the team’s defense, but coach Willie Green has them playing the third-best defense in the NBA on that end. Of late, Zion Williamson is starting to contribute on that end — his athleticism made him a defensive force at Duke, but in the NBA he has been more of a target for offenses. That has looked better of late, and it helps that Zion can occasionally do this:

ZION OH MY!!! 🚫@PelicansNBA | #Pelicans |📺:BSNO pic.twitter.com/W7EkfU5dBv

— Bally Sports New Orleans (@BallySportsNO) December 3, 2022

5. Grizzlies (15-9, LW 5). Desmond Bane remains out, but the return of Jaren Jackson Jr. is starting to have the expected impact on defense — the Grizzlies are sixth in the league in defense over their last six games (stats via Cleaning the Glass, and BTW the Griz are 5-1 in that stretch). The offense, carried by Ja Morant, continues to be in the top 10 in the league. This is just a reminder of how big a difference Jackson Jr. can make at the rim.

Can we put a video in the Louvre, asking for a friend.@jarenjacksonjr | #BigMemphis pic.twitter.com/M2gVUZYPc6

— Bally Sports: Grizzlies (@GrizzOnBally) December 3, 2022

6. Cavaliers (16-9, LW 4). After beating the Lakers Tuesday, the Cavaliers are 11-1 at home in the Rocket Mortgage Field House, with a +12.2 net rating. However, on the road the Cavs are 5-8, albeit with a +1.3 net rating (they have been a little unlucky on the road). That matters because the win over Los Angeles was the first of 9-of-11 games at home. It also helps that Cleveland got Jarrett Allen back against the Lakers, he has played at a Defensive Player of the Year level when healthy this season.

7. Warriors (13-12, LW 12). While they had a nice recent win in Minnesota, Golden State is 2-10 away from the Chase Center this season with a -8.5 net rating. Their offense stumbles a little away from home (15th in the league), but the issue has been on defense where they are second worst in the league (and 12.8 per 100 worse than their defense at home). This matters because the Warriors have 7-of-8 coming up on the road, including games against the Bucks, 76ers, and both New York teams. The Warriors have recalled James Wiseman from the G-League after he got seven games under his belt.

8. Mavericks (13-11, LW 11). Luka Doncic continues to play at an MVP level, but Jason Kidd knows he needs to reduce Doncic’s minutes at some point. He told Yahoo Sports: “For 82 games, it’s no way that he can play at this level, the usage is just way too high. No one can.” Tim Hardaway is providing some help since being moved into the starting lineup, scoring 21.3 points per game and shooting 52.5% on 3-pointers.

9. Kings (13-9, LW 15). Sacramento fans were mocked for chanting “40 wins” after a good Summer League outing, but suddenly that number seems low for the feel-good story of the season. Based purely on point differential so far, Cleaning the Glass projects the Kings to finish with 49 or 50 wins, while the more nuanced formulas at fivethirtyeight.com suggest 44 or 42 wins. The Kings’ offense has come back to earth the last couple of weeks, but Mike Brown’s defensive lessons seem to be taking hold as the Kings have the third-best defense in the NBA over the last six games. Sacramento is heading out on the road for six games against the East.

10. Nuggets (14-10, LW 8). Maybe some home cooking will help turn around the Nuggets’ 26th-ranked defense — the stat that makes us question if they really are a threat in the West. Denver is tied for the most road games in the league, but after Portland on Thursday have 6-of-7 at home in the Rocky Mountains. If your question is, ‘does Denver struggle defensively in the halfcourt or transition?’ the answer is yes. Both rank in the bottom 10 in the league. The one bright spot is the fifth-ranked offense, which is led by Nikola Jokic, who is having another MVP-level season statistically (even if it is highly unlikely voters will give him a third-straight award).

11. Jazz (14-12, LW 14). Are the Jazz the 10-3 team from the start and the season or the team that has gone 4-9 since? While Utah has dropped 6-of-8, they have been in those games with only one of the losses being by double digits. One pleasant surprise of late has been the play of rookie center Walker Kessler, who has averaged 7.2 points and two blocked shots a game coming off the bench in his last five games. The Jazz are 2-2 on a six-game homestead that wraps up this week with the Warriors then Timberwolves.

12. Nets (13-12, LW 16). TJ Warren returned to the court Friday night and was rusty, as one should expect of a guy who has missed the better part of two seasons. That said, he looked solid and if he can shake off the rust and stay healthy he can bring some needed depth to Brooklyn — depth that is needed because some role players they expected more out of have not lived up to the hype. Joe Harris must still be bothered by his ankle issue as he is averaging 8.6 points a game and shooting 36.8% from 3, numbers far below his pre-injury production.

13. 76ers (12-12, LW 7). James Harden is back, but so much for being eased into things as he had to play 38 minutes in a 2OT loss to the lowly Rockets (a game where Joel Embiid fouled out). Harden was an understandably rusty 4-of-19 shooting in that game, but he made some passes and a couple of step-back 3s that reminded everyone how he juices an offense — which matters because over the past couple of weeks that’s been the weaker end of the court for Philly (23rd in the league over the last seven games). Maybe the Sixers can find their footing on the seven-game homestead that starts against the Lakers Friday.

Welcome back, Harden. 🫡 pic.twitter.com/pQfPjIbedb

— NBC Sports Philadelphia (@NBCSPhilly) December 6, 2022

14. Hawks (13-11, LW 19). The reports of friction between Trae Young and Nate McMillan are not new, those rumors have been all over the league all season, nor are the questions about whether Young will adjust his game to fit better with Dejounte Murray next to him. With those two guards, John Collins has become an afterthought in the offense on too many trips down the court and the long-simmering rumors of a trade for him seem to both be heating up and have some validity this time. The question is what will the Hawks seek in return? The Hawks have 5-of-6 coming up on the road, including both New York teams and a tough test Monday in Memphis.

15. Clippers (14-11, LW 9). Kawhi Leonard is back and, right on cue, knocked down the game-winner in his first game. The Clippers have done a great job with their role players keeping their heads above water — their most-used five-man lineup of Reggie Jackson, Luke Kennard, George, Marcus Morris and Ivica Zubac has a +15 net rating. The Clippers also have a +18.5 net rating when Leonard and George are on the court together. Now they have to just stay healthy and give this roster a chance to build some chemistry and good habits going forward, then we’ll see what they’ve got.

https://t.co/zsyrToDERK pic.twitter.com/1KfwCRWBZO

— LA Clippers (@LAClippers) December 6, 2022

16. Raptors (12-12, LW 13). Is this ranking too low for the team with the fifth-best net rating in the East? Maybe, but the return of Pascal Siakam has not sparked a middle-of-the-road offense — since he came back Toronto is 2-3 with an offensive rating a couple of points worse than their season average. Siakam is putting up numbers (24.5 points, 8.9 rebounds, 7.1 assists a game) but as a team Toronto is just not efficient shooting the ball and it holds them back. Maybe the Raptors two games over the weekend in Orlando will be a chance for the Raptors’ offense to find a groove.

17. Trail Blazers (13-11, LW 18). Damian Lillard is back in the lineup and the Trail Blazers’ offense just looked more fluid, the spacing and ball movement was better in the win against Indiana. Portland had gone 2-5 without him for this stretch, he is too critical to a team with little margin for error to miss much time. The guy Portland could use to get back next is Gary Payton II to help their defense — they are 24th in the league in defense for the season, but that has been worse of late (28th in the NBA over their last seven games). Unfortunately, there is no timeline yet for his return from core muscle surgery this offseason. Portland’s win over Indiana was the start of a four-game homestead that precedes a heavy road stretch through the start of the new year.

18. Lakers 10-13, LW 24). The Lakers are 8-3 in their last 11 games, with a top-10 offense and defense, but it was evident how critical Anthony Davis is to all that in the Lakers’ loss Tuesday in Cleveland (when Davis left the game in the first quarter due to “flu-like symptoms”). As pointed out at The Athletic, during this streak the Lakers have been running a lot more Davis/LeBron James pick-and-rolls (they leaned on it late in the win over the Bucks), and they are doing it closer to the top of the key, not out above the arc.

19. Pacers (13-11, LW 10). Bennedict Mathurin isn’t the only rookie standing out in Indiana (although he is one of the clear top-two rookies so far this season), former Gonzaga point guard Andrew Nembhard dropped 31 points with 13 assists on the Warriors this week in a Pacers’ upset win. The recent struggles with the Pacers (they have dropped 5-of-8) had some league executives hoping Indiana would revert to its plan to trade veterans Myles Turner and Buddy Hield, but the team is two-games over .500 and still the fifth seed in the East — if they stay in the playoff mix, convincing ownership to make that trade becomes very difficult.

20. Heat (11-14, LW 21). The Heat remain a mystery. Jimmy Butler returned last Friday and immediately started draining clutch shots in a statement win against the Celtics, reminding everyone why a healthy Heat team is a threat in the postseason. Then they turn around two nights later and lose to a Grizzlies team resting four starters. Two nights after that they fell to the banged-up and not-very-good Pistons. The good news is that on Tuesday night Victor Oladipo made his debut this season, if he can stay healthy and provide some bench support it would be a massive boost to Miami.

🎥 Jimmy's full night… a return to remember pic.twitter.com/B81NsqzsO9

— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) December 3, 2022

21. Wizards (11-13, LW 17). Kyle Kuzma trade rumors popped up this week and it presents Wizards ownership and management with a question: Do we like where we’re at and should we keep Kuzma and try to re-sign him this summer and see how far the Bradley Beal/Kristaps Porzingis/Kuzma core can go; or, do we sell high on Kuzma and start thinking about the future because we don’t think this team can win a title? History suggests the Wizards will keep Kuzma at the deadline — they just maxed out Beal, they don’t want to blow this up. But if the Wizards are not going to pay up and re-sign him — he will opt out of his $13 million for next season and likely get something closer to $25 million a season — then they have to consider the trade.

22. Knicks (11-13, LW 22). Knicks management is reportedly working the phones heading into the NBA trade season, but not so much to make a blockbuster move, it’s more looking to send out a player or two — Evan Fournier, maybe Immanuel Quickley — to clear up a roster logjam. Tom Thibodeau finally leaned into Quentin Grimes at the two — he is their best defender on the perimeter — and with that Fournier has largely fallen out of the rotation. The Knicks aren’t going to get a lot back for him, but they would love to get off his salary. Interesting test against the Hawks Wednesday.

23. Thunder (11-13, LW 25). Jalen Williams is starting to find his way as a rookie, and we saw it last week with his 27-point game against the Spurs. It was a game where Shai Gilgeous-Alexnader was out and Williams had the ball in his hands more, but he took advantage of the opportunity and showed a tremendous feel for the game for a rookie. The Thunder have started their five-game road trip 2-0, but it doesn’t get easier with Memphis, Cleveland, and Dallas ahead.

24. Timberwolves (11-12, LW 23). One of the bigger misses in my preseason projections was the Minnesota defense — with Rudy Gobert I thought it would be top-10 in the league and help rack up wins while the team figured out if Gobert and Karl-Anthony Towns can play together. Instead, Minnesota is 16th in the league in defense and it hasn’t gotten any better of late (despite Anthony Edwards going on a steals tear). With Towns missing a month or more with a calf injury, the fit questions are also on hold. Starting on Friday in Utah, Minnesota is on a five-game road trip through the West, including a couple of games against Portland.

25. Bulls (9-14, LW 20). Trying to shake things up, Billy Donovan put Alex Caruso and Javonte Green in the starting lineup replacing Ayo Dosunmu and Patrick Williams, and he may stick with that for a while (although Williams was back with Green out vs. the Kings due to knee soreness). Donovan is searching for something to spark the offense, which remains bottom 10 in the league despite a roster with DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic. As the Bulls continue to struggle, the trade rumors around the team continue to grow (other teams are interested in DeRozan but Chicago is more willing to part with Vucevic).

26. Rockets (7-17, LW 27). Jabari Smith has found his stoke. The No.3 pick had a rough start to the season, but over his last 10 games he is averaging 14.2 points per game and is shooting 42.2% on 3-pointers (on 6.4 attempts a game). He has been fantastic on the catch of his shoot because of his quick release, something that pairs well with the slashing of Jalen Green and Kevin Porter Jr. After Thursday’s game in San Antonio, Houston has seven games in a row at home.

27. Hornets (7-17, LW 26). Steve Clifford has his squad putting out a strong effort every night, which is worth noting considering how hard injuries have hit this team (LaMelo Ball has played in just three games, Gordon Hayward has missed 13 and Terry Rozier eight). The Hornets have not just rolled over. With a void in the offense Kelly Oubre Jr. has stepped up as a gunner and is averaging 22.4 points a game over his last 10, and while he’s not terribly efficient doing it no doubt Oubre Jr. is comfortable taking all those extra shots.

28. Pistons (7-19, LW 28). If you’re looking for the silver lining, the fact Cade Cunningham is out (many around the league think for the season, although that is not official yet) means the Pistons have put the ball in the hands of rookie Jaden Ivey and he has shown promise. Ivey is averaging 15.9 points and 4.3 assists a game (that’s the most dimes per game of any rookie). The Pistons are still showing some fight, picking up a win against a Heat team that hasn’t consistently shown the grit of of Detroit this season.

29. Magic 5-20, LW 29). The Magic are finally healthy in the backcourt, with Markelle Fultz and Cole Anthony returning to the floor this past week. However, that guard depth did not spark a win and the Magic have dropped nine straight, although all the losses were to teams with records of .500 or better. This is just a tough patch for the Magic and the young core is learning lessons the hard way. However, we can’t go a week without a Bol Bol highlight, how about coast-to-coast for the slam against the Raptors.

BOL BOL COAST TO COAST 😤 pic.twitter.com/FdoSFLZCb8

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) December 4, 2022

30. Spurs (6-18, LW 30). The losing streak has reached 11 straight (second longest in franchise history) and it’s tough to find bright spots at this point (other than Spurs fans watching Victor Wembanyama or Scoot Henderson highlights). One might be the play of backup center Charles Bassey, the second-round pick a year ago out of Western Kentucky, who is averaging six rebounds a night off the bench in San Antonio. The Spurs host the Rockets Thursday night, which is their best chance to break the streak this week.

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Chris Paul expected to return to Suns lineup Wednesday vs. Celtics

By Kurt HelinDec 7, 2022, 2:48 PM EST

Megan Briggs/Getty Images

The Phoenix Suns did more than keep their heads above water for the last month without Chris Paul, they went 9-5 with a +5.9 net rating that was fourth best in the NBA over that stretch.

That doesn’t mean they are better off without him, and on Wednesday night against the Celtics he is planning to make his return, something Monty Williams hinted at and Chris Haynes of TNT/Bleacher Report confirmed.

Pheonix Suns star Chris Paul – barring a setback – intends to make his return tonight against the Boston Celtics after being sidelined for a month with heel injury, league sources tell @NBAonTNT, @BleacherReport.

— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) December 7, 2022

Paul, 37, had seen his performance slip a little in the 10 games he did play before going out with his heel injury, averaging 9.5 points and 9.4 assists a game but on 36.8% shooting. Rested and healthy, the Suns are hoping to see those numbers rebound closer to what he did in previous years.

CP3 remains one of the best floor generals and high IQ players in the league, and with Devin Booker forms one of the more formidable backcourts in the NBA. While the Suns are 16-8 and sit atop the West, they are not making a deep playoff run and returning to the NBA Finals (as they did two seasons ago) without Paul.

Report: Knicks active in trade talks involving Quickley, Fournier, Reddish, Rose

By Kurt HelinDec 7, 2022, 12:50 PM EST

Eric Espada/Getty Images

Their big summer acquisition Jalen Brunson has been everything the Knicks could have asked for this season. Yet New York sits at 11-13, ninth in the East, with a middle-of-the-pack offense and a bottom-10 defense.

They need an infusion of talent but also to open up space on a crowded roster. Leon Rose and company are working the phones heading up to Dec. 15 (when most players signed this summer become available), reports Fred Katz at The Athletic. The interesting names that pop up: Evan Fournier, Immanuel Quickley, Cam Reddish and Derrick Rose.

They fielded calls on Fournier leading into last winter’s trade deadline and then again over the summer. He has two seasons, including this one, remaining on his contract and hasn’t touched the court in three weeks. But it’s not like they’re desperate to send him out of town. The Knicks have not shown any interest in attaching draft picks to Fournier just to move him, league sources said…

They also have communicated that they are willing to attach Quickley or Reddish to Fournier to make a trade work, league sources said.

The Knicks have discussed with other teams various types of Quickley-related deals. In discussions where the 23-year-old is the standalone piece going out, New York has targeted a future first-round pick, league sources said. The team is overflowing with guys who could justify playing time. Moving on from one of the guards could free up space…

A deal where they send out two players and bring back one or something of that ilk is possible, as well, but as of now, they have made it clear to other teams that their goal is to free up space on a crowded roster.

It’d be a surprise to see Rose traded, other than as salary filler in a bigger deal. Somewhat the same as Reddish — the Knicks had to attack a first-round pick to get Reddish in the door, but he’s never been part of Tom Thibodeau’s plans and they couldn’t get one back for him in a trade now.

There is understandable interest in Quickley, the third-year point guard out of Kentucky averaging 10 points a game, but will a team send New York a quality first-round pick to get him? Is there a playoff-bound team looking for depth at the one willing to give up a first-rounder to get it? A team that does trade for Quickley would have to be committed to him and pay him going forward — Quickely is extension-eligible after this season.

The Knicks have been bold the past couple of deadlines looking to bring in what they thought would be quality rotation players. This season they may be more sellers, looking to create roster space in the future.

NBA adds Maurice Podoloff Trophy for team with best record

Associated PressDec 7, 2022, 9:28 AM EST

Image courtesy NBA

ASSOCIATED PRESS — There’s now another trophy for NBA teams to chase.

The league announced Tuesday that the team with the best regular season record will now receive The Maurice Podoloff Trophy, named for the first commissioner of the NBA.

And that name strongly suggests that another trophy tweak is coming – since until last season, the league’s MVP trophy was named for Podoloff. Denver’s Nikola Jokic received the Podoloff Trophy when he won his first MVP award in 2021; when he won MVP again last season, he also received a crystal ball amid a leaguewide redesign of many trophies.

The new Podoloff Trophy has a crystal ball cut into 82 panels – a nod to the 82-game regular season – and sits atop a pedestal that combines the structures of the Eastern Conference posts and Western Conference rings.

The league also unveiled several more redesigned trophies Tuesday. The Joe Dumars Trophy for sportsmanship, The Red Auerbach Trophy for coach of the year, The Twyman-Stokes Trophy for the league’s best teammate and the NBA Executive of the Year Trophy all have new looks. Each features an embedment inside a 15-inch crystal net structure.

“Winning the first NBA Sportsmanship Award and being the trophy’s namesake are among the greatest honors of my career,” said Dumars, who is now an NBA Executive Vice President and the league’s head of basketball operations. “The reimagined trophies represent the enduring legacy of past recipients and are a fitting way to honor those who will continue to raise the standard of excellence in our game.”

Last season, the league changed the look of the NBA’s championship trophy, The Larry O’Brien, with the golden ball atop it now tilting in a different direction than the previous version and with a rounded base instead of the square one that the trophy had for decades.

It also made design changes for many other awards, including the Bill Russell NBA Finals MVP trophy along with the Eastern Conference and Western Conference championship trophies – naming them for Bob Cousy and Oscar Robertson, respectively. The league also added two new prizes last season, the Larry Bird Trophy for East finals MVP and the Magic Johnson Trophy for West finals MVP.

All the trophies handed out at All-Star weekend, including the Kobe Bryant MVP award, were also redesigned last season. The league also began issuing divisional championship trophies, naming them for Nat “Sweetwater” Clifton (Atlantic Division), Wayne Embry (Central), Earl Lloyd (Southeast), Willis Reed (Southwest), Sam Jones (Northwest) and Chuck Cooper (Pacific).

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